Endoscope.



R. H. WAPPLER.

BNDOSGOPE.

APPLIGATION HLBD IJBo,zv,19094 Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

coLuMmA PLANOGHAPH cowAsmNa1oN. n. c.

'UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

REINHOLD H. WAPPLER, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CYSTOSCOPEMAKERS INC., OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

ENDOSCOPE.

Application filed December 27, 1909.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 29, 1911.

Serial No. 534,988.

To all whom it may concern.'

lie it known that I, Remi-1on1) II. WAP- rLuR, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing in the borough of Manhattan., city, county, and Stateof New `York, have invented an Improvement in Ilndoscopes, of which thefollowing is a specification.

IIeI-etofore in the use of endoscopes in the diagnosis of certaindiseases, difliculty has been experienced in examining the walls ofsmall passages or ducts into which the instrument is inserted, due tothe fact that the tissue forming the walls of these small passages, hasa tendency to hug the instrument so closely as to leave insufficientspace or dist-ance between the walls to be examined and the front lensof the instrument to permit a good view of the Walls being obtained.

Now the object of my invention is to overcome this difficulty and in sodoing, the extremity or tip of the endoscope made according to myinvention, is so constructed as to allow ample space between the frontlens of the instrument and the exterior limits thereof, to provide forthe necessary distance between the walls of the passage to be examinedand this front lens of the instrument, to permit a good view of theWalls being obtained,-as will be hereinafter more particularlydescribed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of alens ,employed in myimproved endoscope. Fig. 2 is a plan View of the same. Fig. 3 is acentral longitudinal section of the end portion of an endoscopeillustrating my present invention. Fig. 4 is a view similar to Fig. 8,showing a modication of the invention. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Figs.3 and 4, showing a further modification of the invention. Fig. 6 is anelevation of the end of the sheath in which the endoscope is adapted tobe inserted for use, showing the endoscope in dotted lines in positiontherein, and Fig. 7 is a diagrammatic View illustrating the Way in whichthe rays of light are refracted and reflected in passing through theprismatic lens employed in the instrument made in accordance with mypresent invention.

Referring to the drawings, particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, I prefer toemploy a lens indicated at 10. This lens is made of any suitablematerial and the body portion thereof is preferably cylindrical. In thislens adjacent to one end, there is a plane face indicated at 11,preferably cut at an angle of apl'iroximately 300 to the axis of thelens and at the same end and on the opposite side, the lens is providedWith a face 12, also a plane face, which is out preferably at an angleof approximately 10D to theaxis of the lens. As illustrated in thesefigures, the opposite end of the lens is preferably a plane face'indicated at 13.

Referring to Fig. 3, the lens 1() hereinbefore described is mounted inthe tip member 14 of an endoscope which is secured to the casing 15 ofthe endoscope by the screw threaded connection 1G or otherwise, and inthis instance, the face 1Q is preferably provided with a coating 17 ofmercury or other similar material to provide the so called silveredsurface and produce a positive reflecting effect. p

Qn one side, the tip member 14 is provided with an inclined portionindicated at 18, extending entirely or approximately so, across the tipmember 14 at an angle corresponding to the angle at which the face 11 iscut in the lens 10. In this inclined portion 18 of the tip member andadjacent to the extremity thereof, there is provided an apertureindicated at 19, for the admission of the light.

It will be understood that the lens 10 may be secured in any desiredmanner in the tip member 14 and When in position, that the face 11thereof lies against or in close proximity to the other surface of theinclined portion 18 of the tip member. This face 11 of the lens 10extends entirely across the aperture 19 and appreciably beyond the outeredge thereof. In this form of the endoscope constructed in accordancewith my invention, I prefer to employ an inner tube or sleeve indicatedat 20. At the end of this sleeve an object glass 21 is secured in anydesired manner and the sleeve 20 is of such a diameter as to be insertedin the casing 15 and the tip member 14 and to be slidably adjustabletherein and removable therefrom.

By referring to Fig. 4, as will be manifest, the lens 10 instead ofbeing provided with a plane surface 13 at the end thereof as indicatedin Figs. 1 and 2, this end of the lens 10 may be a convex surface 22,whereby the object glass is confined in the lens 10. In this structure,the lens 10 is secured in 'therein and to be removable any desiredmanner in a sleeve or tube 23 adapted to be received in the t-ip member14 and the casing 15 to be slidably adjustable therefrom, the tip member14 of the casing l5 being connected in this instance in the same mannerthat shown and described in connection With Fig. 3.

In the construction shown in Fig` 4, the inclined portion of the tipmember 14 is provided with a flange 24 surrounding the aperture thereinWhich corresponds to the aperture 19 in the construction shown in Fig.3, and in this Harige 24 there is a circular recess or groove 25 adaptedto receive a plate of glass indicated at 2G, which parts are soconnected as to form a Water-tight joint. In this structure manifestly,it is not necessary to silver either of the surfaces 11 or 12 of thelens 10.

By referring to Fig. 5, instead of providing the inclined portion 18 ofthe tip member 14 with a. flange 24 as indicated in Fig. 4, I mayprovide the saine with an internal flange 27 placed at an inclination tothe inclined portion 18 and also to the of the instrumentand Within thisflange 27 I prefer to set in any desired manner a lens 28. In this casethe lens 10 is similar in construction and the manner in which it ismounted to that hereinbefore described in connection with Fig. 4.

In Fig. G, 29 designates the sheath such as is commonly employed in theuse of the instruments to which my present invention relates. In the endof the sheath as is cus tomary, a lamp bulb 30 is secured and adjacentto the lamp bulb 30, the sheath 29 is provided With a more or lesselongated opening shown at 31, a portion of which at least extendsconsiderably beyond 'the end of the lamp bulb 30. When inserted in thesheath 29 and in place therein, the endoscope assumes such a positionthat the aperture 19 or the glass 26 or the lens 28 comes beneath theopening 31 and is adjacent to the extremity of the lamp bulb 30. It Willnow be apparent that even though the Walls of the tube, duct, or otherpart or organ being examined With the instrument, hug the Walls' of theinstrument ever so closely, there will still be a certain distancebetween the edges of the opening 31 and the aperture 19, or the glass2G, or the lens 28, and this distance is sufficient to obtain asatisfactory view of the Walls of the part to be examined. It Will alsobe apparent that in entering the lens 10, the rays of light will firstbe refracted from the face 11 to the face 12, from which they arereflected to the face 11 and then again reflected through the otherlenses of the instrument, and that in this double reflection, arectified or right sided image of the object viewed is obtained.

By referring to Fig. 7, it Will be seen that in passing through t-heprismatic lens 10, the rays of light are first refracted from the face1l to a silvcred face l2, from which they are refiected back to the facel1, from which by virtue of the mann ir in which the lens ismounted,`being entirely inclosed,- the rays of light are reflected andpass through the face 13 or the face 22, thence from the lens.

For clearness I have shown only the eentral ray of light by a dottedline.

I claim as my invention:

1. An endoscope comprising a casing, a tip therefor provided with anoblique portion adjacent to the extremity of the tip, in which obliqueportion there is provided an aperture, a lens mounted in the said tipand provided with a face cut at substantially the same angle to the axisof the lens as the said oblique portion of the tip is to the axis of theinstrument, another face cut on the said lens at a smaller angle to theaxis than the aforesaid face thereof, the first aforesaid face lyingadjacent to and extending entirely across the said aperture.

2. An endoscope comprising a. casing, a tip therefor provided With anoblique portion adjacent to the extremity of the tip, in which obliqueportion there is provided an aperture, a lens mounted in the said tipand provided With a face cut at substantially the same angle to the axisof the lens as the said oblique portion of the tip is to the axis of theinstrument, another face lying adjacent and cut on the said lens at asmaller angle to the axis than the aforesaid face thereof, the firstaforesaid face extending entirely across the said aperture, and a glassset in the said aperture in the oblique portion of the said tip.

3. An endoscope comprising a casing, a, tip therefor provided with anoblique portion adjacent. to the extremity of the tip, in Which obliqueportion there is provided an aperture, a lens mounted in the said tipand provided with a face cut at substantially the same angle to the axisof the lens as the said oblique portion of the tip is to the axis of theinstrument, another face cut 0n the said lens at a smaller angle to theaxis than the aforesaid face thereof, the rst aforesaid face extendingentirely across the said aperture, and a front lens set in the saidaperture in the oblique portion of the said tip.

4. An endoscope comprising a casing, a tip therefor provided with anoblique portion adjacent tothe extremity of the tip, in which obliqueportion there is provided an aperture, a sleeve adapted to fit Withinthe said tip and casing and to be removable therefrom, a lens mounted insaid sleeve and provided with a face cut at substantially the same angleto the axis yof the lens as the said oblique portion of the tip is tothe axis of the instrument, another face cut in the said lens at asmaller angle to the axis than the aforesaid face thereof, the irstaforesaid ,face extending entirely across the said aperture.

5. An endoscope comprising a casing, a tip therefor provided with anoblique portion adjacent to the extremity of the tip, in which obliqueportion there is provided an aperture, a sleeve adapted to t Within saidtip and easing and to be removable therefrom, a lens mounted in saidsleeve and provided with a face cut at substantially the same angle tothe axis of the lens as the said oblique portion of the tip is to theaxis of the instrument, another face cut on the said lens at a smallerangle to the axis than the aforesaid face thereof, the first aforesaidface extending entirely across the said aperture, and a glass set in thesaid aperture in the oblique portion of the said tip.

Signed by me this 15th day of December,

REINHOLD H. WAPPLER. Witnesses:

GEO. T. PINGKNEY, BERTHA M. ALLEN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents Washington, D. C.

